Someone Who Knows Her Place in the Sky
by EllieStone
Summary: Deryn's suffocating on the ground. Pre-Leviathan. How Deryn became Midshipman Dylan Sharp. T for flashbacks to the accident. NOW COMPLETE.
1. Weren't we afraid to fall?

Jaspert knew he was in trouble. Across the table, his mother had set down her fork. Deryn had stopped with hers halfway to her mouth, eyes lit up like the burner on one of their father's hot air balloons.

.

"Jaspert, after dinner will you help me get the little balloon out of the barn?" Deryn popped a bite of potatoes into her mouth, eyes wide, feigning innocence.

Jaspert's eyes were equally wide, although for a different sort of reason.

"No." Their mother's voice was casual, but her eyes were anything but. "Who'd go with you? You know Jaspert's promised he'd help me out around the house tomorrow." Locking eyes with his sister, he shrugged, trying to extricate himself from her pleading stare.

"I can go by myself, Ma." Jaspert glanced at his mother.

"No. Not after that stunt you pulled last time."

Deryn groaned. "That was months and months ago! D'you expect me to just stay here on the ground my whole life?"

"Aye, most people do, Deryn. It works out reasonably well for the majority of them."

"You let Jaspert fly." Jaspert raised an eyebrow. _This is going no where good._

"That is entirely different. Jaspert is older, and he is a man, and _it is his job._"

"Oh, please! Jaspert is not a _man!_"

"Hey, now!" Jaspert kicked at Deryn under the table, making contact with the side of her boot. She scowled at him.

"Even if he were, I can out-fly him any day. That's got nothing to do with it." She'd pinned him on his pride this time.

"Oh, well then! Let's just pop you in a middy's outfit and send you off to the _Minotaur, _shall we? Dress you up like a boy, get you a job in the Air Service? Great plan, that."

Deryn began to frown, but stopped. Slowly, she began to nod. "Why not? If that's the only way to get me in the air, so be it." she said. "I could do that."

.

Looking at the set of his mother's jaw, the angle at which she cocked her head, all he could think was, "_What have I done?"_

Deryn's eyes flipped between her mother and her brother, analyzing the tension between them, slowly losing their fire with each passing second.

"Nevermind," she said quietly. Shoving back her chair, she stood stiffly and walked out of the dining room.

Without her there, the pressure of his mother's gaze was unbearable. Jaspert's throat felt thick and numb.

After a moment, it was finally she who broke the silence.

"You'll break her heart."

"Her heart's already broken."

"Don't be dramatic, Jaspert. She's fifteen. Of course she's going to be moody when she doesn't get what she wants." She began gathering up dishes.

"Do you really not see it? You can look at her everyday and say nothing's wrong?"

"_Of course something's wrong, Jaspert!" _The dishes she was holding clattered back to the tabletop. "You think she's just going to forget what she's seen? You think she can ever be a normal girl? It's our job to protect her from herself, which is a job no mother wants. But it's what we do because we love our children. And that means sometimes making them hate us."

Jaspert could only watch her recollect the dishes and carry them to the kitchen. Watch the frayed sleeves of her dress, the wisps of hair at her temples, once blonde but long since faded to dull dishwater, the way no motion was wasted as she walked.

She returned a moment later with a rag and began silently wiping down the table.

"She's dying here, mum."

She sighed. "I know."

.

He knew where she'd be: as close to the sky as she could get. Around here, that meant the roof of the barn, which admittedly was not all that close to the sky.

Roofs were not for playing on, which was exactly what made them a great place to play. As children, the barn roof was their castle, their palace, their airship. As they grew older, the lure of imagination had ceased to be enough to tempt them through the dusty hayloft and out the broken window. Years passed before Deryn found herself in need of the imagined sky again.

After their father died, at almost any given time, Jaspert could look out the window to see Deryn perched atop the gabled roof of the old barn. When the silence got too much for her, she retreated to where she could talk to the sky in a way she couldn't or wouldn't talk to people. He hadn't seen her up there since she started talking again. He hoped that didn't mean anything.

The barn was dusty and stale with neglect. Spare parts lay in heaps on one side of the aisle, while two deflated balloons crouched on the other. One was small, just big enough for two or three people. Aside from the layer of grime covering it, it could have been left there just the other day. The second balloon was bigger. Had it been intact, it would have been large enough for several people to ride in the basket comfortably. Unfortunately, one side of the wicker was smashed and splintered, twisted in on itself. The actual balloon was shredded in places and carelessly tossed to the side.

_It's like something died in here,_ Jaspert thought.

The rungs of the ladder creaked as he carefully made his way up to the hayloft. He could see Deryn's tracks in the dust. He followed them to the window, which she'd left open.

_How did we used to do this all the time?_ He wondered as he tried to maneuver himself into a standing position on the sill. He looked over his shoulder at the ground. _Weren't we afraid to fall?_ Once he'd gained his balance, he reached up and grabbed a hold of the eves. He pulled himself up, hoping the old wood wouldn't give way underneath him.

Midway down the length of roof, Deryn was laying on her back, spread eagle in the dusk.

Jaspert wordlessly made his way over to her. He watched her for a moment, then sat down. She stared off into the distance, not looking at him.

"You gonna to talk to me?" he asked after a few silent minutes.

"Get stuffed."

"I didn't mean it like that." They sat like that for a while, watching the sun slink groggily below the horizon.

"You know," Deryn said eventually, "I used to think if I could just wait until I was out of this house, if I could just hang on 'til I could get out on my own and fly every day, maybe that hope could keep me going." She shook her head. "But I don't think I can last much longer. I'm disappearing."

Jaspert turned to look at her. She had her eyes squeezed shut, kneading them with the heels of her hands. It wasn't the same as before, but he could see it creeping back in the set of her shoulders.

"She doesn't understand how incomplete I feel down here. It's like being out of breath. You aren't dying, but it sure feels like it. You can't go through your whole life out of breath. At some point, it catches up with you. And when it does, you'll just give out."

Jaspert's heart twisted in his chest. "I'll see if I can't find some time to take you up this week."

"She won't let you. You know she won't." Deryn pulled her hands away from her face and shot him a withering glance. She sighed. "Wish I could just join up like you. Can't believe I actually let myself think that earlier. Even for a second."

She stood, raising up on tiptoe and stretching her arms above her. "I'm such a barking mess." Jaspert smirked. Not only was she talking, she was swearing. _She's still here. For now. _And with that she strode off to the end of the roof. She looked back at him once, and with the assurance of someone who knows her place in the sky, swung herself over the edge.

* * *

><p><strong>I was very conflicted about whether or not to upload this in chapters or in one piece. However, here it is! Special thanks to SuavePanda for all the wonderful encouragement. I should be updating shortly as I've already got quite a bit more written.<strong>**All comments and reviews are highly appreciated!**


	2. Waiting for the day she comes back down

He didn't hear it happen. He did hear Deryn's screams, though, moments later.

Jaspert had never heard his sister make a noise like that before. Her voice was like metal plates sliding past each other, raw and halting.

He dropped what he was doing, heart pounding, and ran out the back door.

He stopped for just the briefest second, frozen at the sight of the burning orb above the pasture. And then instinct kicked in. He screamed for his mother through the open door, and was running before he realized what the image before him meant.

He was halfway there before he could see Deryn crumpled on the ground, still crying out. _She's alive, she's alive, she's alive. _He nearly fell over himself sprinting to her.

He collapsed in the weeds when he reached her, ignoring her screams until he knew she was safe. He grabbed her roughly, turning her to look for injuries. Her dress was torn, blood smeared across her face and neck. Her right shoulder was burned, but it was her left arm that was twisted unnaturally.

She was trying to say something, but he couldn't make out words in her screams. She pointed feebly at the fireball above them. "DA!" Jaspert gazed upwards, horror washing over him. Their father was still up there.

"Get her out of here, boy!" He turned to see Allan MacTavish running towards them. Their mother was weeping silently behind him. Jaspert tried to pull Deryn up without disturbing her wounds. She whimpered pitifully. MacTavish seized her roughly under both arms and hauled her to her feet. She fell against him, but he pushed her into Jaspert's arms. "GO!"

More neighbors were running to the field from all sides. Jaspert glanced back at his mother, who was still frozen, her hands clasped in front of her mouth.

"C'mon," he grunted, grabbing Deryn around the waist and pulling her toward the house. She was sucking in ragged breaths between her cries. He wanted to get her inside before any more of the neighboring families arrived. He didn't want anyone trying to take her away from him.

She tried to walk, but her legs seemed limp and unable of supporting her. Jaspert towed her to fence where he stopped to catch his breath. As soon as he could breathe again, he seized her up and pushed her over the rails. Once she was safely on the other side, he clambered over himself.

When he stood up, Deryn was back on her feet. She looked over her shoulder where the flaming balloon had caught in a tree. She glanced at Jaspert.  
>He knew he couldn't protect her; she'd already seen. He reached out a hand for her, but she took off running.<p>

"DERYN!" he sprinted after her. She was headed for the barn. He was only a few strides behind her, but by the time he caught up she was already dragging their smallest balloon into the alleyway.

He grabbed her around the shoulders, pinning her arms to her sides. She howled in pain where he scraped against her burn. "NO!" he roared into her ear. "YOU CAN'T HELP!" Her wordless cries sounded almost inhuman. He leaned back, picking her feet up off the floor. She kicked wildly, several blows landing on his shins. He fought to keep his balance.

Mustering all his strength, he began to make his way to the house. Halfway through the yard, she nearly escaped his grip. He lost his footing and fell on top of her. Lying on the ground sobbing, she finally stopped fighting him. "Deryn, come on, Deryn, get up," he begged. "We have to get inside. Just a little farther."

He pulled her to a sitting position and dragged her up the porch steps. Once inside the door, he sat with her in his lap. She was still crying rasping sobs into his chest, but softer now; she wasn't trying to escape him.

"Oh God," Jaspert moaned. "Oh God, oh God, oh God…" He buried his face in her hair and cried with her.

.

Deryn finally quieted, breathing heavily but no longer sobbing. He didn't know how long they'd been sitting there when the door flew open. It was Kyle Wilson, who lived down the road and was in Jaspert's year at school. His faced was flushed and his eyes were wide as he took in Jaspert's tear-streaked face and Deryn's quiet form in his lap.

"Is she…?" Jaspert shook his head. "She's hurt, though." He softly rolled her over, mindful of her arm and shoulder. "Help me get her upstairs."

Jaspert stood, carefully pulling Deryn up with him. Kyle steadied him when his balance faltered. Slowly, they made their way up the stairs and into Deryn's room. They laid her on the bed and looked at each other, unsure of what to do next.

Jaspert cleared his throat. "Um, there are some rags in the top drawer in the kitchen. And some water, maybe." Kyle nodded and left.

Jaspert pulled Deryn's desk chair up next to her bed and sat. She moaned as he began peeling what was left of the collar of her blouse away from her burns.

Kyle returned with a bowl of cool water and some rags. He stood awkwardly by the door as Jaspert draped damp cloths over Deryn's wounds.

"Is… Is there anything else I can do? Or get for you? Someone's already run for the doctor."

"Do you know… Did they…?" Jaspert trailed off, unsure of what he was asking, of whether he wanted to know the answer.

Kyle bit his lip. "I didn't, um, I'm not sure, really, I don't know. As soon as I got there, someone was yelling for me to go find you two." He looked away, uneasy.

Jaspert nodded. "Just tell my mum. When she gets back. That we're okay."

Kyle looked as if he were about to say something, but he stopped. "I'm sorry," he said finally, shutting the door on his way out.

Jaspert set about wiping the filth from Deryn's face. The combination of dirt, soot, and blood came away easier than he expected. He put new cool cloths on her burns, and leaned his head against the wall, glad for a moment of quiet, but scared of what would come to fill the silence.

His eyes wandered across the expanse of drawings tacked above her bed. Airships, friends, landscapes, fabricated beasts, all rendered in a light hand and scattered across her wall. His heart churned as he looked at her mangled left arm. _God, _he thought, _please don't take everything from her._

He wanted to go to the window, to see how things were progressing, but he couldn't make himself stand. He wondered if there was even a chance his father made it out. Remembering the inferno that had become of the balloon, he doubted it. His father was gone, but Deryn was here.

Blinking back tears, he began picking grass out of her hair.

.

Jaspert had fallen asleep by the time the doctor arrived, fingers still tangled in Deryn's blonde hair. He awoke to his mother's hand on his shoulder. But when he met her eyes, he had to turn his face to the wall and suck in a shaky breath before he could gain his composure.

He stood awkwardly in the corner as the doctor attended to Deryn's wounds. He hated the idea that there was nothing he could do as the doctor set bones, stitched cuts, and treated burns. But what he hated more was that there were things that the doctor couldn't fix.

.

The next few days were terrible. Too many people milling about the living room, too many platters of baked goods delivered, too many condolences. Whenever someone tried to talk to Jaspert, he quickly excused himself, saying he needed to check on Deryn. And so he would slip up the stairs to her bedroom. Sometimes he talked to her, though she never responded. Sometimes they were both silent.

Once the influx of visitors began to wane, Jaspert began coaxing Deryn out of bed in the evenings. His mother told him to let her be, she'd come down when she wanted to. But Jaspert knew the longer she stayed in that room, the harder it would be to leave in the end.

On the days he could get her out of bed, he guided her down the stairs to the living room. Some nights he read aloud. Once her arm had healed a bit, he sometimes brought out a pencil and paper, though all she did was scratch absently. Some nights they simply stared at the fireplace.

On the days he couldn't get her out of bed, he washed her face and brushed her hair, then sat by the window, leaving her in her own world, but never leaving her.

Then one day, she was dressed and out of bed before Jaspert could get to her. And the next, she was sitting on the roof of the barn. She still wasn't talking, but she wasn't lying in bed staring at the wall, either. He wanted so badly to follow her up onto the roof, but he knew he'd been smothering her lately. So instead he watched from the kitchen window and waited for the day she'd come back down.

* * *

><p><strong>Thanks so much for all the lovely reviews and comments! I treasure each and every single one!<br>****In case anyone is interested, here is the playlist I made for myself to listen to while I wrote this. I tried to put it in semi-chronological order, although I feel like it's still not quite in the right order :/ Most of the songs are on here mainly for atmosphere, though more than a few of them have eerily applicable lyrics.  
><strong>

**Tears of an Angel – Ryan Dan  
><strong>**Time – Hans Zimmer  
><strong>**The Moment I Said It – Imogen Heap  
><strong>**Safe and Sound – Taylor Swift ft. The Civil Wars  
><strong>**Get Up – Barcelona  
><strong>**Blinding – Florence + the Machine  
><strong>**Down – Jason Walker  
><strong>**Paper Wings – Cauterize  
><strong>**Clear the Area – Imogen Heap  
><strong>**Losing Your Memory – Ryan Star  
><strong>**Skinny Love – Birdy  
><strong>**The Ice is Getting Thinner – Death Cab for Cutie**

**Thanks again for all the wonderful encouragement! The next chapter should be up shortly!**


	3. Not joking now

"…And then I was hoping you could fix that stretch of fencing along the MacTavishs' land."

Jaspert shifted the sack of flour on his shoulder as he waited for his mother to open the front door. "You're not going to give me a second to even think about taking her up, are you?"

She shot him a pointed look. "I'm not going to encourage that." She strode into the kitchen, setting her packages on the table.

"Aye, because not encouraging her stopped her last time." Jaspert set the groceries he was carrying on the table and walked over to the pantry. He opened the door and dropped the sack of flour on the floor in the corner. When he returned, his mother was staring out the window, arms crossed in front of her chest.

"If there was something she could make of it, like you have, maybe it'd be different. If I could know it wouldn't all be taken from her someday, that I could let her run around in trousers and go flying every day of the year without worrying about her finding a husband or being talked about behind her back, that there wouldn't come a day when she would have to give it up, things would be different. The world has a way of being cruel to those who don't follow its rules."

"I want those things for her too, but that's her choice -" His mother cut him off sharply.

"I can't have her hurt again! What if I let you take her out, and then once you're gone and she's had a taste of it, she tries to go out on her own? She'll give into temptation and crash again. You saw what she did to that balloon. I don't even think it's salvageable, really. Don't know why we've kept it…" She shook her head. "That was the second time I thought the sky had taken her. I won't have a third."

"She knows now she can't handle a big one on her own. She won't try that again." Jaspert began unpacking their purchases in silence. The only sound was the rustling packages and the opening and closing of cupboard doors.

After a moment he spoke again, voice low. "You know what she told me? She told me she doesn't feel whole. She said without flying, she's losing hope. She's disappearing. And you're just going to sit there and let her disappear."

He looked up to see his mother's face soften. "When did she say that?"

"Yesterday. On the roof." He watched as his mother's eyes widened with concern. "Aye. She's been up on the roof again."

The two of them put away the rest of the groceries silently. Jaspert was just about to leave when she spoke.

"You think if she could fly, she'd be happy again." It was less of a question than an outright statement.

"I think if you took everything from her _but _flying, she'd be happy again."

.

"Hey." Deryn hopped up on a newly-mended fence rail.

"Careful there, I just fixed that." Jaspert wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and climbed up to sit next to her.

"She's trying to keep you too busy to take me up, isn't she?" She bounced her heels off the fence post, skirt hiked up around her knees.

"Aye. But I talked to her. I think she might be reconsidering."

Deryn heaved a sigh. "She'll never let me go by myself. Once you're gone I'm grounded again."

"Probably," he agreed. He watched her boots swinging next to him, the sun reflecting dully across the old leather.

"Take me back with you." He looked up to see Deryn peering at him.

"Where? To London?" Jaspert laughed. "If Mum won't let you go up in the balloon with me, what makes you think she'd let you take a trip to London with me?"

"Not to London! Well, I mean, yes, to London, initially. But to the _Minotaur!_" She looked so pitifully hopeful that for once, Jaspert knew what his mother meant when she said she didn't want Deryn to get her hopes up.

"Are you daft? I was only joking before."

Deryn knit her eyebrows together. "I'm not joking now."

"They don't take girls in the Service. You know that."

"So I won't be a girl! You said it yourself at dinner. Maybe it won't work, but it's _something._" She leaned forward, elbows on her knees, head bowed. "You don't understand. I'd do anything, _anything, _to fly. You can help me or not, but I'll find a way."

Strands of hair that had escaped her braid fell around her face, obscuring her expression, but Jaspert knew just how her eyebrows would be pinched together. "You know I'd do anything to get you flying again."

She turned her head to look up at him. "I know _you_ would. But you're not the one who's got me trapped here."

* * *

><p><strong>Short update is short, I know : Sorry to let you down. The next chapter is longer, I promise. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed so far! Please keep reviewing, I love hearing from you! It keeps me motivated :D**


	4. You coming or not?

"Are they coming yet?" his mother asked as she bent to pull a pie out of the oven. Jaspert peered out the window.

"Yeah, they're just leaving the barn," he replied. Today it had been Deryn's turn to go ballooning with their father. Jaspert had spent the afternoon indoors, morosely helping his mother with house chores, stealing peeks out the window whenever he could.

"They were supposed to be back ages ago," his mother grumbled. "The Murrays are going to be here any minute and your father isn't even in the house… Jaspert, could you get the tablecloth out of the linen trunk? The one Auntie Elaine got us for Christmas."

Jaspert retrieved the tablecloth from the trunk in his parents' bedroom and laid it out over the dining table. He heard the back door clatter open and made it to the kitchen just in time to see Deryn trip across the threshold behind their father.

"I saw that," he whispered. She stuck her tongue out at him.

Their mother dropped the dishcloth she was holding and turned to face her husband. "_Artemis Sharp. _You said you'd be back _half an hour _ago!" she hissed at him. "The Murrays could be coming up the drive right this very second, and you're not even washed for dinner! Look at you!"

Truth be told, she had a point. Artemis's clothes were rumpled, his hair was standing nearly on end, and there was a smudge of grease along his jaw line. But he had nothing on Deryn. She was covered in dust, wearing a pair of Jaspert's old trousers that had one knee ripped open, and her hair was half falling out of its clumsy braid.

"And _you, _missy! You keep coming back looking like that and you'll never go up with him again!"

"Aw, Mum! You know I can't help it…" Deryn tried to subtly smooth her hair back into order, but her mother's eyes saw everything.

Her mother shook her head, resigned, and pointed upstairs. "Go wash up and get changed before they get here."

His father grinned. "You'd better go, little bird." Deryn frowned but trudged upstairs nonetheless.

"Jaspert, could you get the table set?" His mother was already bustling back to the kitchen.

He groaned. "Make Deryn do it! I've been helping all day!"

"I would, but _somebody _didn't get her back in time," she shot a pointed look at her husband.

Coming up behind her, Artemis wrapped his arms around his wife's waist. "Come on, Meredith. We made it in time," he said, resting his chin on her shoulder. "You've seen how she gets; I couldn't tear her away. You should have been out there today - the weather was absolutely perfect."

She laughed quietly, swatting at him. "You're getting me all dusty."

He kissed her temple. "I'll go wash up, then. This isn't over." He released her and headed to their room.

Jaspert was setting the table when he heard the knock on the door. He quickly finished and shuffled out to meet the guests.

His mother and Mrs. Murray twittered at each other, trading greetings and compliments. Mr. Murray stood aside, watching his wife bemusedly. Their son, however, planted his feet and looked Jaspert up and down.

Ross Murray was a year younger than Jaspert, but nearly as big. Over the years, Jaspert had been made to endure play dates with him on occasion, but nothing on a regular basis. As a result, the boys knew each other well enough to be rivals, but not well enough to be friends.

Artemis returned just then, greeting Mr. Murray with a clap on the shoulder.

"Jaspert, could you run and get your sister? We'll get dinner on in a minute here." His mother threw him a glance and gestured up the stairs. Eager to escape Ross's glare, he jogged up the stairs and knocked on Deryn's door.

"Mum says come down," he called. She grunted in response. "Now," he insisted.

"I'm coming in a second!"

"Fine."

He made his way back down. His mother had herded everyone into the dining room. Jaspert sat down across the table from Ross, leaving a spot for his sister. She ambled in a few minutes later, face washed, hair brushed, wearing a clean skirt and blouse. His mother looked vaguely relieved.

Dinner was served a few minutes later. The adults talked continuously and his mother laughed far more than usual. The children however, ate in silence unless someone asked them a direct question. Ross alternately glared at Jaspert and made faces at Deryn. Jaspert mainly avoided eye contact, although Deryn was more than happy to reciprocate the scowls.

After the meal, the adults moved into the living room, and the children were ushered out to play in the yard.

They eyed each other warily. None of them particularly wanted to be in the company of either of the others, but circumstances being what they were, there was no other option.

"I'll bet I can beat you to that tree." Ross pointed to a gnarled old elm tree across the yard.

"I'll bet you can't," Jaspert replied, but Ross was already running full out. "GET BACK HERE, BUM-RAG!"

Despite the head start, Jaspert was soon on Ross's heels, with Deryn not far behind. They reached the tree at the same time, locked eyes for a split second, and began madly clambering up the twisted limbs. A moment later, Deryn skidded to a stop beneath them.

"You coming or not?" Jaspert called over his shoulder.

"You need your baby sister for backup?" Ross jeered.

Deryn watched them indecisively for minute. Sighing, she hiked her skirt up and began to climb. When she reached them, they were perched on a branch, glaring at each other. The next handhold was just a few feet out of reach.

"Now what?" she asked.

"Get on my shoulders, climb up there, and then give us a hand up," Jaspert suggested.

Deryn's cheeks pinkened. "I can't."

Ross groaned. "Why not? You're not afraid of heights, are you?"

"Course not, I fly with my da all the time. Couldn't do that if I were scared, could I?"

"C'mon, Deryn!" Jaspert was impatient to beat the Murray boy, even at something as trivial as tree climbing. Deryn kept her eyes downcast. "I won't let you fall, if that's what you're worried about."

"_I am not afraid of falling,_" she answered through gritted teeth.

"Then _what?_"

"You'll see up my skirt," she mumbled.

"Girls really are good for nothing!" Ross crowed.

Deryn looked as though she were about to say something, but thought better of it. "Wait right here!" she insisted before scampering back down.

"She's gone off to tattle, hasn't she?" The younger boy was watching Jaspert with a hint of worry hidden under his bravado.

"Not likely," Jaspert mused as he watched his sister run toward the house.

"She's probably crying, though," he insisted as Deryn cautiously opened the back door and slipped inside.

"Doubt it." Ross didn't have anything else to add.

A moment later, Deryn's bedroom window opened and she tossed a small bundle out. It landed noiselessly on the lawn below.

Ross shot Jaspert a questioning look, but Jaspert shrugged by way of response, watching as Deryn slunk back out the door and retrieved her parcel. She jogged to the barn and disappeared inside.

When she emerged again, she was back in Jaspert's old trousers.

"What is she wearing?" Ross asked incredulously.

"Don't tell me you've never seen trousers before."

"Well, yes, but not on a girl!" Jaspert shrugged again.

Just a few minutes later, Deryn was on Jaspert's shoulders. She took hold of a protruding knot on the trunk and pulled herself up to the next limb. Wrapping her legs around the branch and bracing her feet against the core of the tree, she leaned down and extended a hand to her brother.

Using Deryn for leverage, he was able to scrabble up just high enough to get a grip on the knot and swing himself up next to her. After Jaspert was settled, she reached down for Ross. He grimaced, but took her hand.

Soon they had climbed as high as they dared go.

"I guess it's a draw, then," Ross commented offhandedly. Deryn and Jaspert exchanged a glance, but didn't say anything.

Just then, the back door clattered open. Still chatting and laughing, their parents spilled out.

"Come on down, boys! It's time for Ross to go home!" Jaspert's mother called.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Deryn cringe. "You're gonna get it," he hissed.

"Oh, get stuffed! I already know that. No need to rub it in."

Jaspert and Ross scrambled down the tree. Deryn followed slowly behind, finally landing with a thump on the grass behind them.

"Oh!" Mrs. Murray gasped, flushing and giggling nervously. "Why, Deryn! I thought maybe your brother and Ross had found another little friend." Deryn silently locked eyes with her mother. She wasn't smiling.

"Why don't you go wait for me upstairs." It wasn't a question.

Ross snickered as Deryn made her way back inside.

The Murrays awkwardly made their goodbyes, and left without further excitement. Jaspert couldn't really say he was sorry to see them go.

As soon as the door closed, his mother was storming up the stairs. He heard Deryn's bedroom door open.

"DERYN SHARP!"

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><p><strong>So, I promised the next chapter'd be longer :) Sorry about the delay - I've been trying to force myself to update every weekend, but I didn't quite make it on time this week. I actually was planning on posting a different chapter altogether. But about, oh, 3 AM Friday morning, I had this idea and, well... Here it is. I'm absolutely loving Deryn and Jaspert's parents together, they were so much fun to write. Baby Deryn is a blast, too!<strong>

**Reviews make my day, so let me know what you think!**


	5. She's got the heart, at least

"What's this?" their mother asked warily, taking a seat in the living room. Across from her, Deryn and Jaspert exchanged a glance.

"Mum, you know how you said you didn't want me to fly alone?" Deryn watched her mother intently, but aside from the slight narrowing of her eyes, she didn't react. "Well, we thought of a way – _I _thought of a way, er, well, that's not true, exactly. Jaspert _thought _of it, but I was the one who… Well, um. Anyway. We thought of a way that I could fly, and not be alone… I, um," She stopped, looking over at her brother. She took a breath. "When Jaspert goes back to London, I could go with him, and I'd take the midshipman's test -"

"I knew this was coming." Her mother closed her eyes and exhaled. When she opened them, she asked, "And what happens if you don't pass? What then?"

Deryn looked down at her hands in her lap. "Reckon I'd come back here..."

"And do what?"

"Same thing I've been doing, I suppose." Jaspert could see her biting back a number of cynical comments. He knew she could never keep up what she'd "been doing." She wanted this so badly.

"So if I were to let you go," Deryn's head shot up. "_If,_" her mother repeated, "_if_ I were to let you go, and you didn't make it, you'd come back here, and not complain or sulk, and we wouldn't have any more of this talk about flying?"

"No! I mean, yes! I'd… I'd do anything. Just for the chance. That's all I want. Just let me try! And if I don't make it, I come back here and I keep my feet on the ground. And you'd never hear anything from me about flying again!"

Jaspert looked at the ground. He knew what a dangerous gamble this was for Deryn.

"What do you think Jaspert? How do you think this'll end?" Jaspert steeled himself to meet his mother's cold gaze, but found a surprising amount of warmth there. He felt Deryn watching him and chose his words carefully.

"I think… I think she's got the makings of an airman." Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Deryn beaming at him. "She's got the heart, at least. I think that's what matters. But," he glanced at his sister apologetically, "I don't know how easy it will be to pass her off as a boy."

Their mother nodded. "This isn't like me letting you run around in Jaspert's old trousers as play clothes when you were little. This is twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You know they'll send you home if they find out, Deryn. Is it worth the risk?"

Deryn nearly fell over herself in her haste to answer. "Y-y-yes! Oh, yes! Of course it is! I'd do anything, anything."

Their mother looked back and forth between them. The silence stretched longer and longer. At last she asked, "How long until you leave?"

"About a week and a half." Deryn was breathing heavily next to him, jaw clenched.

"Not much time to get things sorted, then. You'll have to work fast."

Deryn made a wordless noise. Jaspert blinked.

"Really? You'll let me go? Just like that? I - oh blisters, that sounded bad, I didn't mean it like that! Thank you thank you thank you…" Deryn was already out of her seat and flinging her arms around her mother's neck.

"Jaspert?" His mother lifted her chin to look over Deryn's head, her voice raised to be heard over her chattering. "I still expect that yardwork done before you leave."

.

Deryn groaned and flopped back on her bed.

Jaspert looked up from _The Manual of Aeronautics. _He'd been quizzing her all morning. "What?" Her bed was littered with pin cushions and spools of thread. A pair of half-hemmed pants were draped across her lap.

"My fingers are all cramped up." She flexed her hands slowly. "Wish Mum would help me," she muttered.

"Be thankful she's letting you go at all. Don't push your luck." Jaspert smiled at his sister as she pressed her pillow to her face and moaned.

"C'mon," he prodded. "Back to studying."

.

"OW," Deryn protested as Jaspert yanked on the strips of cloth wound around her chest. She pressed a hand to her ribs. "Blisters, that's tight."

"Oh, shut it. You'll have to learn to do this on your own, you know," he replied.

She crinkled her nose at him. "I know that. I just needed help the first time. Besides, I thought you said I had no diddies."

"That I did, but you've still got more than Dylan has." Jaspert smirked at her. He was a little uncomfortable, seeing his sister this way, topless but for the bindings on her chest. He didn't see how anyone could take her for anything _but _a girl, despite her lack of certain developments. The subtle angle of her waist, the shallow depressions of her collarbones - her body had a certain softness to it that was inherently feminine. Hopefully Deryn's tailoring skills could make up for it.

"Alright. I'm done. Put some clothes on, would you?"

.

"Well?" She opened the door to face her brother. She was dressed in a pair of dark trousers, a white collared shirt, and a jacket that she'd strategically altered in a few key areas. "How does it look? Do I look like a Dylan?'

Jaspert shrugged. "You look like my little sister playing some daft game of dress-up. I know you too well; all I see is Deryn."

She groaned and scampered down the stairs.

"Hey, stop that!" Jaspert called after her. "Boys don't take stairs like that!" She waved him off.

"Mum?" She rounded the corner to the living room. "D'you think-"

"No." Her mother cut her off, holding up a hand to block out the sight of her daughter. "I don't want to see it." Deryn scowled at her before turning on her heel and stomping back upstairs.

"She won't look at me."

"No, she won't look at you in boys' clothes. There's a difference." Jaspert leaned against the wall, arms folded across his chest. Deryn stuck her tongue out at him. Standing in front of the mirror, she experimented with the jacket, tucking the seams, pulling them out again.

"Lucky I'm nearly as tall as you now, really," she jabbered on, undeterred. Jaspert took a critical eye to her tailoring. As he watched her, he was shocked at how relieved he was to see her happy again; it'd been so long since he'd seen her like this. At the same time, though, he worried that he was only setting her up for a fall.

"It's my hair, I think," Deryn said, turning back to him. "You'll cut it for me, won't you?"

He nodded. "Aye. In London."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Why in London? Why not now?"

Jaspert lifted his chin toward the door. "She won't even look at you in boys' clothes. What do you think she'll do if she sees you with your hair all chopped off? First she'd cry, then she'd lock you in your room for a week." He chuckled. "Can't have you missing the test after all this, can we?"

"Good point," she conceded. "The jacket, though. Do you think it's alright?"

He pulled at the seams under her arms. "A squick more here, maybe."

.

"Now walk like a man," Jaspert called from his seat on the porch steps.

"I _am _walking like a man," Deryn shouted back, pacing across the yard.

"Mind your voice. Stop swinging your arms around like a ninny!" She made a face at him, then straightened her arms out and took a few steps. "Just like that!"

Jaspert knew his mother was just inside, peering through the curtains, watching her daughter change right before her eyes. He couldn't help but pity her, just a little. He'd always known who Deryn was. He didn't have any residual dreams of the girl she could have become. He knew his mother loved Deryn and wouldn't change her for the world, but at the same time he realized that there was a tiny part of her that hoped someday she'd become a proper young lady.

He knew it hurt to lose little hopes like that. But he knew it would hurt more to lose Deryn.

.

"Well, that could have gone worse," Jaspert said as he settled into his seat.

"Could have gone better as well. She could have said _something _the entire way here." Across from him, Deryn slouched against the wall.

"She's just worried, is all," he replied, thinking of the awkward walk to the train station. From the moment they'd stepped out the door, their mother had been silently radiating an air of disapproval. He'd seen Deryn squirming with the tension of it all, itching to be free. Jaspert couldn't forget the look in his mother's eyes as she'd hugged her daughter goodbye: fear and courage, pride and disapproval, but mostly love. "Take care of her," she'd whispered in his ear as she'd give him his own hug.

"She loves you, you know," he added quietly.

"Aye, I know."

* * *

><p><strong>Ohoho, they're on their way :D Thanks so much for the continuing support - you guys are all so sweet to me! Drop me a review to let me know how I'm doing!<strong>


	6. Uncharted territory

_Amelia Jean, be a good little soldier_  
><em>I drove to Richmond with your love in my bag<em>  
><em>Chasing trains won't stop you getting older<em>  
><em>Amelia Jean, wait for me by the tracks<em>

_Amelia Jean, you're such a brave little solider  
>I drove to Nashville when your sister called, concerned<br>Some people stay, some are born to run away  
>Amelia Jean, I'm sure you'll get your turn<em>

.

"I can't believe you're leaving me." Deryn was straddling Jaspert's desk chair, arms folded across the back, watching him pack.

"I'm not leaving _you_. I'm just leaving." Jaspert was digging through his chest of drawers, tossing clothes on the bed.

"Same thing, really," she said, settling her chin on her forearms.

Standing, he turned to look at her. "No, it's not. You know I wouldn't leave you."

"Then what are you doing now, exactly?"

He said nothing, folding the shirts piled on his bed, packing them efficiently into an old carpetbag.

"See? You don't even have an excuse. You're just going to stand there and pretend you care, but the minute someone calls you out on it, you've got nothing!"

He sighed, exasperated. "That's not true at all."

"It is! You hate being here, so you're leaving. You're getting out. Guess I would too, if I were you. Must be pretty exhausting, dealing with me."

"Come off it! You know I'd stay if I could, but there's nothing for me here!"

Deryn's face crumpled, just for a second. Jaspert almost missed it. Just as fast, her eyes had hardened and her lips twitched into a sneer. "Nothing here? _Nothing here? _I'm _nothing_, then?"

"Blisters, Deryn, you know I don't mean it like that!"

"How did you mean it, then?" she asked, a cruel edge in her voice.

"What am I supposed to do here? We're barely making it, and it's not as if I can just go get a job in town! I've got no practical skills, and odd jobs will only get you so far. Flying's the only thing I've got going for me."

Deryn snorted. "I could best you any day."

Seeing no other way out, Jaspert sacrificed his pride. "I reckon you could."

"See? If your thirteen year old sister can fly better than you, what business have you got in the Service?"

"First off, you're probably better in the air than _anyone _in the service, so that's not even a relevant comparison. And since it's not as if _you _could go, it doesn't matter. Secondly, I'll not be captain my first day, you know. They'll teach me what I need, but I'm good enough to get on for now."

She sighed, defeated. "So you're off having adventures while I'm stuck here on the ground." She pulled back on her chair, balancing on two legs.

"I'm sure Davy Reid would like to have some adventures with you." Jaspert kicked at one of the chair legs, causing her to come clattering back to the floor.

"That's disgusting and you know it." She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

Jaspert chuckled. "Find some other lad then."

"Aye, Mum would love that, wouldn't she? Me, chasing boys instead of clouds."

"That she would." He tucked the last shirt into his bag. "Anything else I need to bring with me?"

"Me."

"Deryn."

"I know, I know. It's just so unfair. Here I am, dying to be in the air again, and off you go. Not because you want to. Because you _have to._" She picked at the skin around her nails.

"I never said I didn't want to go. You're not the only one who loves flying." He was nervous about leaving home, but he _was _excited to be back in the air; he hadn't been up since his father died, nearly a year ago.

"I didn't say that you didn't! I'm just saying, I'm the one that belongs up there, not you."

"You don't own the sky, _little bird_," Jaspert snapped. A second passed before his eyes widened, realizing what he'd said.

Deryn's head shot up at the use of her father's pet name for her. Her entire face seemed to wilt, with the exception of her lips, which were pressed into a thin line. Suddenly she looked so _young. _

"That was really mean," she said quietly, not looking at him.

Jaspert pressed his hands to his face, covering his eyes and slowly lowering them until only his mouth was hidden, though he still didn't turn his eyes to her. He didn't have anything to sacrifice to make up for this.

A moment later, he heard his door slam closed. He'd made a mess of things, and there wasn't much time to clean it up.

.

She picked silently at her dinner that night, and returned to her room without saying a word after. The silence was worse than anything she could scream at him. He'd made her angry enough to yell before, but he'd never driven her to silence. This was uncharted territory.

Rinsing the dishes, his mother shot him pointed looks. She meant for them to say, "Go make up with your sister." She didn't mean for Jaspert to see, "Don't let it get like it was before," but he knew what she was thinking.

After putting the dishes away, he trudged up the stairs. He knocked quietly on her bedroom door, knowing there would be no response.

"Deryn?" he called quietly. "I'm coming in."

He edged the door open cautiously. The room was dim, and it took him a moment to realize that the lump on the bed was, in fact, his sister. She was turned to face the wall, arms folded in close to her chest, and gave no acknowledgement to the fact that Jaspert had entered the room.

Jaspert approached her bed, staying back a few feet. "Deryn, I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that. It just came out, I didn't mean anything by it. I didn't mean to say it, but I did and I wish I hadn't. It's just… I mean, you aren't the only one who misses flying. Who misses Da." He took a shaky breath.

"I don't want to leave _you, _but things are what they are. We need the money, and this is something I know I can do. I could do worse than getting paid to do something I enjoy, you know?" She still hadn't moved.

"Look, I know you don't want to be here alone with Mum, but there's nothing for it. I'll be back whenever I can. I'll write. Just… Just don't antagonize her too much. She's trying."

Watching her still, silent form, he knew he wasn't going to get a response tonight.

"I just wanted to say I was sorry, about earlier. That's all."

He crossed the room in a few steps and closed the door softly behind him. Maybe by the morning she'd come around.

.

Their mother talked incessantly on the way to the train station. She reminded him to write. To be careful. To not do anything dangerous. He tried to catch Deryn's eye to share a grin at their mother's expense, but she was carefully avoiding his gaze. His stomach roiled to know it could be months before he'd see her again, and she'd spend those months hating him.

The train whistle blew – there were only a few minutes left before Jaspert would have to be aboard. His mother's eyes were misty as she hugged him close one last time.

"I'll be careful, I promise," he told her, pulling back. She nodded, sniffing.

He looked to Deryn, opening his arms and inclining his head questioningly. She bit her lip for a moment, indecisive. The next thing Jaspert new, his sister was pressed tight against him, her face buried in his chest.

"I'll miss you," she whispered into his shirtfront.

"I know. I'll miss you too."

"You'll make a good airman."

"I'll try."

The whistle blew again.

"I have to go." He attempted to extricate himself from Deryn's arms. She resisted for a moment, but finally released him, cheeks damp with tears. She nodded.

Jaspert boarded the train stoically, waving out the window until the train pulled out from the station. It was only when they were out of sight that he allowed himself a second to wipe the tears from his eyes.

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter. Goodness gracious. Deryn was being so uncooperative (as you can see). She would not help me out at all. This was like pulling teeth. Also, first (and only) chapter to get a "theme song": Amelia Jean by Jack's Mannequin.<strong>

**Please review?**


	7. Wake up, you ninny!

"Spread your feet more," Jaspert hissed at Deryn as she climbed the stairs to their rented room. She grumbled, but complied. He tossed her the key and waited for her to unlock the door.

Stepping across the threshold, he took a look around. The room was small and dark, just barely brighter than the dusk outside the one small window. It smelled of wet hay and horses. Deryn was already dumping her suitcase at the foot of the bed. Jaspert set down his own bag.

"Now what?" Deryn was watching him, eyebrows raised.

He sighed. _No use putting it off. _"Shall we get Dylan ready for tomorrow?" She nodded vigorously, eyes gleaming. Jaspert rolled his eyes. "Let me go wash up a bit first."

.

When he returned, Deryn had changed into her trousers and was sitting at the desk. She had one foot propped against the wall, leaning back on two chair legs. Her other foot was resting on her knee, jiggling in anticipation.

"If you stopped bouncing your foot, you'd be sitting like a proper lad," Jaspert remarked. She stopped immediately. "There you go. But put your chair down now. Unless you _want _to end up all lopsided, that is." The front legs of the chair clattered to the floor.

Jaspert retrieved a pair of scissors from his bag and a towel from the dressing table. As he tucked the towel into her collar, she made to undo her braid. "Leave it," he said. "Might as well have it all off in one go."

"Can't believe I'm doing this," he murmured as he took the blonde braid in one hand, scissors in the other.

Deryn snorted. "Can't believe I'm _letting _you."

"_Letting me? _Is that was this is?"

"Oh, just get on with it!"

Trying not to think what his mother would say if she were here, he closed the blades of the scissors on the plait.

"There you are, _Mr. _Sharp," he said, dropping the braid in her lap.

"_Barking spiders!_ Look at that!" She held it up, laughing. "I had no idea it was that long."

"Not any more." Jaspert smirked. "Mum's going have you in hats for a year, you know," he commented.

She shrugged. "It's worth it."

.

"Hold still. I'm almost done."

"It's gone all down my back," she protested, rolling her shoulders.

"Well, if you were one of my mates, I'd have just told you to take off your shirt. Oh, wait, that's right, _you can't._"

"Sod off."

Jaspert crouched in front of her, combing her bangs into place. "Alright. Have a look, then."

Deryn stood cautiously and made her way to the tarnished mirror that hung above the dressing table. Approaching it, she let out a low whistle. "You were right," she said, running a hand through her newly cropped hair. "Mum would have cried."

.

Beside him, Deryn groaned. "Get _up. _Let's _go!_"

"I'll get up when I feel like it, and you'll leave me alone until I do, you little bum-rag." He rolled over and pulled the covers in a little closer. Last night Jaspert had discovered, much to his dismay, that his sister was – kindly put – a bed hog. Not that the rented room's tiny bed had much to offer in the way of hogging. As the night had progressed, Deryn had spread her limbs farther and farther until Jaspert was relegated to the very edge of the lumpy mattress.

He wrinkled his nose at an itch. It moved to his cheek. He swiped at it and nestled deeper into his pillow. Something was tickling his ear. He swatted at it, but it returned. He opened his eyes blearily.

Deryn was leaning over him, a devilish smile on her face and a long blonde braid in her hand. Jaspert rolled his eyes.

"Real mature. Get rid of that, why don't you?"

"I thought we could send it to Mum," she deadpanned. He glared at her. "Alright, alright. Just get up already!"

He sat up, rubbing his eyes. Looking at her, he couldn't help but chuckle. She looked ridiculous – wearing an old nightshirt much too big for her, loopy grin on her face, shorn hair sticking up every which way. Ridiculous, but happy.

"Mmm. I'm up."

.

"Loosen up," Jaspert whispered. "You're fine." Beside him, Deryn was walking stiffly, eyes wide and alert, on the look out.

Jaspert dug a few coins out of his pocket and handed them to his sister, pointing at a bakery across the road. "Go on and get us some breakfast, _Dylan._" She raised an eyebrow at him. "_Go." _He nudged her in the direction of the shop and turned to the nearest storefront, passively studying the wares in the window.

He dawdled for several minutes, waiting for her return. When she finally came jogging back across the street, it was with a smile. She thrust a pastry and some change into his hands.

"I don't think they suspected anything!"

"I certainly hope not. If you can't fool the baker, you're not going to fool the Service. And I really don't want to ship you back to Mum in this state." He pushed her hair back off her forehead. "Keep your hair out of your face; it makes you look pure dead girly."

Deryn's eyes widened in horror.

Jaspert clapped her on the shoulder. "Calm down, I was exaggerating." She let out a breath. "Seriously, though. Keep it off your face."

.

They spent the rest of the morning like that, wandering the city, taking in the sights they so rarely saw, living on the outskirts of Glasgow. Deryn immediately took an interest in the fabrications that roamed the streets, so much larger than the ones at home. Jaspert had gotten used to them over his time in the Service and had ceased to give them a second thought until he'd brought Deryn to London.

Every once in a while they would stop, and Jaspert would send Deryn into a shop, or to ask for directions, just for practice. She glared at him each time, but he would only shrug in response, as if to say, "_You brought this on yourself._"

He held his breath every time, waiting for her to run back in a panic, but it never happened. She became less and less nervous with every trip. After a few hours, Jaspert could see a marked difference in her gait.

They ducked into a small café for lunch, grateful to be out of the sun. Behind the counter, a tall young man was drying glasses, stacking them in a cupboard. "It's roast chicken and vegetable stew today, boys," he said, squinting into the glare from the windows.

Jaspert knew that voice. "Cooper?"

"Sharp? Is that you?" The boy hopped the counter, landing solidly in front of them. He and Jaspert shook hands heartily. "Didn't think you'd be back so soon. Thought you'd be off enjoying yourself, chasing after some Scottish lassies, probably." Deryn raised an eyebrow at her brother. "Have you got family in town or something?"

"Oh, no, nothing like that. Came back early so I could bring my cousin here to take his middy's test. Dylan, this is Daniel Cooper." Cooper extended a hand to Deryn, who took it warily, gripping a little harder than was perhaps necessary. "We worked together on the _Minotaur _before he got transferred. Speaking of which, what are you doing back here? I thought you were out along the border."

Cooper nodded. "I was. But my father's been doing worse, and he can't really work any more, so I negotiated my way to a discharge so I could come back and help out."

"I'm sorry, mate." Jaspert clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Glad to see you, though."

"No, it's fine. I'm glad to be out of there, really. Clankers are getting a bit antsy out there, you know."

"Really?" Jaspert glanced at Deryn.

Cooper raised his eyebrows and nodded again. "Enough of that talk, though, eh? Let's get you two something to eat!"

Deryn hung on every word Jaspert and Cooper exchanged regarding the Service. Not only was she listening, Jaspert knew, but she was watching. Here was a real airman, one who wasn't her brother, to learn from. Jaspert could see her watching the way he walked, the off-handed way he slouched in his chair, the tilt of his chin when he laughed.

By the time Mrs. Cooper made an appearance to scold her son for slacking off, it was mid-afternoon. They made their goodbyes, Cooper wishing Deryn luck on her test. They exhausted the rest of the daylight hours roaming the streets of London with no particular destination in mind.

They returned to their dark rented room just after the sun had set. Deryn's nerves had begun to set in, and despite the miles they'd walked that day, she was still restless.

Jaspert ran through the morning's itinerary again and gave her a few last minute reminders. "Just remember: keep your feet spread when you walk, mind your voice, don't cross your legs, and if you have to check your nails, do it like a man."

"What? How exactly does one check their nails like a man?"

"Like this." Jaspert bent his fingers, curling them into his palm. He held his hand up to show her. "Don't look at the back of your hand with your fingers out. That'd be the girls' way of doing it." Deryn nodded.

"Anything else?" She shook her head. "You'd better get some sleep, then. Big day and all." After all this time spent preparing, it was strange to think that by this time tomorrow, it'd all be over, one way or another.

"I really ought to study a little," she protested. "To get it in my head before tomorrow, you know. Just for an hour."

Jaspert wanted to tell her no, that she needed her rest and he wasn't about to let her stay up until all hours of the night. But she was old enough to make her own choices, as the last few weeks had proven. "Alright. Don't stay up too late."

When he crawled under the covers a few minutes later, he had to admit that he was grateful to have the bed to himself, if only for a little while.

.

Opening his eyes, Jaspert groaned inwardly. Light was just beginning to filter in through the single, dirty window. _Morning_. Always coming too soon. It wasn't just any morning, either. Today was the day he would either see his sister's dreams come true, or send her home with her spirit crushed. At this point, one was as likely as the other.

Suppressing a yawn, he rolled over to wake Deryn, but her side of the bed was empty. Jaspert sat up, confused. After a moment, he spotted her, slumped over the desk, a blanket draped across her shoulders, cheek pressed against the pages of _The Manual of Aeronautics_. He was dismayed to see that only a stub was left of the candle she'd started out with last night. He blinked the last dredges of sleep from his eyes and pushed himself out of bed.

"_Wake up, you ninny!"_

* * *

><p><strong>Well, here we are, right where her story takes off in <em>Leviathan<em>! You know, being my first real fic, when I started this, I never thought I'd actually finish it. So I've got to give a huge shout-out to SuavePanda, who got me started, and to Middy Miles, who kept me going. Also to every person who reviewed along the way - it means more to me than you know.**

**Drop me a review and tell me what you think! Even though the story's over, I still love hearing your opinions!**


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